Folding door



L. N. HANSEN FOLDING DOOR Sept. 27, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1.964

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Leslie N. Hansen INVENTOR.

Sept. 27, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1964 Fig.2

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4 BY WMWM United States Patent 3,275,064 FOLDING DOOR Leslie Niels Hansen, Box 557, Hurricane, Utah Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,591 4 Claims. (Cl. 160-206) This invention relates to a novel and useful folding door construction and more specifically to a bi-fold door construction which can be quickly installed in a standard door frame or door opening with a hidden upper track assembly and without requiring a floor guide. The folding door construction or assembly of the instant invention includes a pair of doors which are disposed in edgewise adjacent relation and which are pivotally secured together for relative rotation about an axis generally paralleling and adjacent the adjacent edge portions of the two doors. Novel hinge assemblies are utilized to pivotally secure the two doors together and each hinge assembly includes a pair of hinge leaves which are pivotally secured together in a conventional manner, one of the leaves of each assembly being fixedly secured to one of the doors and the other leaf of each hinge assembly being mounted on the other door for reciprocation in a plane generally paralleling the medial plane of the other door and allowing for movement of the other door toward and away from the axis of rotation of the doors relative to each other. With this type of construction the door assembly, when in the fully extended position, can have a Width greater than the width of the door frame on which the door assembly is mounted. One of the doors may be mounted from the door frame in the conventional manner by means of conventional hinge assemblies with the axes of rotation of the door assembly relative to the door frame and the doors relative to each other disposed on opposite sides of the medial plane of the door assembly when the latter is in its fully extended or closed position.

With this type of construction the free edge of the door assembly may engage the side of the door frame remote from the side of the frame to which the door assembly is secured before the door assembly is moved toward its fully closed position with the two doors paralleling each other. Inasmuch as the free door is yieldably supported from the door pivotally secured to the door assembly as the door assembly is moved to the fully closed position, lost motion will occur between the two doors and insure that the free edge of the door assembly is urged into tight frictional ponding side of the door opening or frame. Further, inasmuch as the axes of rotation of the door assembly relative to the frame and the doors relative to each other are disposed on opposite sides of the door assembly when the latter is in its fully closed position, the fully closed position of the door assembly defines an overcenter position and spring means operatively connected between the free door and the corresponding hinge leaves may be utilized to yieldably retain the door assembly in its fully closed postion in lieu of additional latch means.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved bi-fold door construction including structural features which will be capable of insuring a tight fit between the free edge of the door assembly and the corresponding portion of the door frame.

Still another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a bi-fold door assembly including structural features which will inherently resiliently retain the door assembly in a fully closed overcenter position.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bi-fold door construction including structural features that will enable the door construction to be quickly installed in a standard door frame or opening with only an upper guide for the free door of the assembly and Without requiring undesirble floor guides for the free door.

engagement with the corres- 3,275,064 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 "ice j A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a novel bi-fold door construction in accordance with the preceding objects which 'will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to install so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a building'structure including a door frame defining a door opening and with the bi-fold door construction of the instant invention operatively mounted in the door opening;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 as seen from the reverse side thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the door assembly in a partially open position in solid lines and in a fully opened position in phantom lines;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7-7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 7 shown with the doors of the door assembly in a slightly over-center and substantially fully closed but slightly open position;

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal sectional View similar to FIGURES 7 and 8 but showing the doors of the door assembly in still another open position; and

FIGURE 10 is an exploded perspective view of one of the hinge assemblies by which the doors of the door assembly are pivotally secured together.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a Wall in which a door frame 12 is formed, The door frame 12 defines a door opening 14 .and the door assembly of the instant invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral 16 and includes a pair of doors 18 and 20. As can best be seen from FIGURES 1 and 7-9 of the drawings the door 18 is pivotally supported from the door frame 12 by means of a pair of conventional hinge assemblies 22. The door 20 is pivotally supported from the free edge portion of the door 18 by means of .a pair of special hinge assemblies 24.

Each of the special hinge assemblies 24 includes a first hinge leaf 26 which is fixedly secured to the door 18 by means of suitable fasteners 28. A second hinge leaf 30 is also provided and is pivotally secured to the corresponding hinge leaf 26 by means of a hinge pin 32. However, the tongue portion 34 of the second hinge leaf 30 is longitudinally slotted as at 36 and slidingly received within a complementary blind recess 38 formed in a mounting housing 40 provided therefor and fixedly secured door 20 by means of suitable fasteners 42. The housing 7 40 comprises a pair of opposite side plates 44 and 46 to the.

. 56 is pivotally slidingly received. A V-shaped resilient spring member 50 is seated in the recess 38 and yieldingly urges the cor responding tongue portion 34 outwardly of the recess 38'. From FIGURES 7-9 of the drawings it will be noted thatthe axis of rotation of the door 18 relative to the door frame 12 is defined by the pivot pins 22 and disposed on one side of the medial plane of the door assembly 16. On the other hand, the axis of rotation of the doors 18 and 20 relative to each other is defined by the pivot pins 32 and disposed on the opposite side of the medial plane of the door assembly 16 when the latter is in its fully closed position illustrated in FIGURE'7 of the drawings. Accordingly, as the door assembly 16 is moved from the partially open position illustrated in FIG- URE 9 of the drawings to the position illustrated in FIGURE 8 of the drawings the free edge portionof the door 20 engages the corresponding edge portion of the frame 12 and subsequent movement of the door assembly 16 to the fully closed position illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the drawings causes the springs 50 to be compressed. As the axis of rotation of the doors 18 and 20 relative to each other'and defined by the pivot pins 32 passes through a plane containing the pivot pins 22 .and the points of contact of the free edge portion of the door 20 with the frame 12, the door'assembly 16 is urged toward a fully closed over-center position by the springs 50, the latter having been slightly compressed during movement of the door assembly 16 toward a center position with the pivot pins 32 disposed in the aforementioned plane after initial contact of the free edge portion of the door 20 with the frame 12.

From FIGURES 7-10 of the drawings it may be seen that a limit pin 54 is secured through the plates 44 and .46

and passes through the'slot 36 and thereby establishes limitposit-ions of movement of the tongue portion 34 relative to the housing 40.

Although not required for satisfactory operation of the door assembly 16, a connecting rod assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 56 is provided and has one end pivotally supported from a bracket 58 supported on the free edge portion of the door 18. The

- other end portion of the connecting rod 56 is pivotally connected to one end of an arm 60 whose other end is pivotally supported from the free edge portion of the door 20 by means of a pivot pin 62 stationarily positioned relative to the door 20. Further, the connecting rod 56 is disposed adjacent the upper edge portion of the door 1 assembly 16 and the frame 12 includes an upper horizontal downwardly opening guide channel 62 which slidingly receives a follower 64 mounted on an extended end portion of the secured to the, arm 60.

pivot pin 66 by which the connecting rod Inasmuch as final movement of the door assembly '16 a to the fully closed position illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings from the slightly open position illus trated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings will cause the arm 60 to be pivoted from the position illustrated in FIG- I URE:4 of the drawing to the position illustrated inFIG- URE.3 of the drawings, movement of the door assembly 16 to the fully closed position will not only frictionally engage the free edge portion of the'door 20 with the cor- 5 responding portion of the frame 12 but will also cam the free edge portion of the door 20 against the stop flange Still further, itmay portion 68 of the wall structure 10. be seen from FIGURE 5 of the drawings that the connecting rod 56 is constructed of two arm, sections 70 and 72 which'are overlapped at adjacent ends and secured together by means of fasteners 74 istered apertures formed in the arm sections 70, and 72.

secured through reg- Accordingly, it may be seen that the effective length of the connecting rod 56 may be adjusted merely'by cans ing different sets of the apertures 76 and 78 formed in the arm sections or members 72 and 74, ly, to be registered with each other. 7 v

The foregoing is considered as illustrative onlyof the principles of. the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changeswill readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all, suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as, follows:

1. In combination, a door frame including first and second opposite edge portions and a third edge portion extending between corresponding ends of said first and second edge portions and defining a door opening between said first and second edge portions, a door assembly'ineluding first and second doors, said first door beingpivot- 'ally secured along one edge portion to said first edge means pivotally securing the corresponding edge 1 portion, portion of said second door to the free edge portion of said first door, means. slidably securing the free edge portion of said second door to said third edge portion for movement therealong, the adjacent edge portions of said doors being spaced apart, arm means pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the free edge portionof said first door and to the remote edge portion of said second door,

said door assembly when fully extended, being of slightly greater width than said opening, the first-mentioned means including first and second hinge component means said frame including abutment surface means disposed.

in a plane generally paralleling the medial plane of said opening and projecting into the latter from said second edge portion,

said frame and said arm means including means operaa tive to force said free edge portion of said seconddoor laterally into tight abutting engagement with said abutment surface means upon final movement of said doors a to the fully closed planar positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of said first door relative to said frame is laterally spaced to the side of the medial plane of said first:

door which is advanced when opening said doors and the axis ofrotation of said second door relative to said first door is laterally spaced to the other side of 3. The combination of claim 12 wherein said abutment surface means faces toward the first mentioned side of said medial plane.

4. For use in connection opening therebetween and including a third edge portion extending between the first andsecond edge portions 7 i and also abutment surface means disposed in a plane generally paralleling the medial plane of 'said opening and projecting in the latter from said second edge por-. tion, a door assembly including first and second doors, said 1 first door including means adapted to be pivotally secured respectivealong one. edge portion to said first edge portion, means pivotally securing the corresponding edge portion of said .second door to the free edge portion of said-first door,

the free edge portion of said second door including means adapted to slidingly engage said 'thirdfedge portion of said frame for guided movement therealong,.the adjacent l edge portions of said doors'being spaced apart, arm means pivotally connected at opposite ends 'to' the free edge portion of said first door and the remote edge portion of said second door, said door assembly, when fully extended, being of a width adapted to exceed the width of said means slidably securing said free edge portion of said second door to said third edge portion of said plane.

with a door frame including. first and second opposite edge portions defining a door.

said opening, said means pivotally securing said free edge portion of said first door to said second door including first and second hinge component means pivotally secured together, said first hinge component means being fixedly secured to one of said doors, and the second hinge component means being mounted on the other of said doors for reciprocal movement between two limit positions with respect to the adjacent edge portion of said second door, means connected between said second hinge component means and the other door yieldingly urging said second hinge component means toward said one door, said means adapted to slidingly secure the free edge portion of said second door to said third edge portion of said frame and said arm means connecting the free edge portion of said first door to the remote edge portion of said second door including means adapted to force the free edge portion of said second door laterally into tight abutting engagement with said abutment surface means upon final movement of said doors to the fully closed planar positions closing said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 532,044 1/1895 Fagan 1630 1,000,707 8/1911 Borg 160-113 2,230,475 2/ 194-1 Albach et a1. 160-206 X 2,553,637 5/1951 De Camp.

3,066,730 12/ 1962 Schwartzberg 160-206 7 3,177,519 4/1965 Johnson v 160-213 X 3,181,596 5/1965 Winnan et a1 160-118 X FOREIGN PATENTS 289,972 11/ 193 1 Italy.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

D. L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A DOOR FRAME INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE EDGE PORTIONS AND A THIRD EDGE PORTION EXTENDING BETWEEN CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND EDGE PORTIONS AND DEFINING A DOOR OPENING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND EDGE PORTIONS, A DOOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND DOORS, SAID FIRST DOOR BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED ALONG ONE EDGE PORTION TO SAID FIRST EDGE PORTION, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING THE CORRESPONDING EDGE PORTION OF SAID SECOND DOOR TO THE FREE EDGE PORTION OF SAID FIRST DOOR, MEANS SLIDABLY SECURING THE FREE EDGE PORTION OF SAID SECOND DOOR TO SAID THIRD EDGE PORTION FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, THE ADJACENT EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID DOORS BEING SPACED APART, ARM MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS TO THE FREE EDGE PORTION OF SAID FIRST DOOR AND TO THE REMOTE EDGE PORTION OF SAID SECOND DOOR, SAID DOOR ASSEMBLY WHEN FULLY EXTENDED, BEING OF SLIGHTLY GREATER WIDTH THAN SAID OPENING, THE FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND HINGE COMPONENT MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURED TOGETHER, SAID FIRST HINGE COMPONENT MEANS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TO ONE OF SAID DOORS AND THE SECOND HINGE COMPONENT MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID DOORS FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN TWO LIMIT POSITIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE ADJACENT EDGE PORTION OF SAID SECOND DOOR, MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SECOND HINGE COMPONENT MEANS AND THE OTHER DOOR YIELDINGLY URGING SAID SECOND HINGE COMPONENT MEANS TOWARD SAID ONE DOOR, SAID SECOND EDGE PORTION OF SAID FRAME INCLUDING ABUTMENT SURFACE MEANS DISPOSED IN A PLANE GENERALLY PARALLELING THE MEDIAL PLANE OF SAID OPENING AND PROJECTING INTO THE LATTER FROM SAID SECOND EDGE PORTION, SAID MEANS SLIDABLY SECURING SAID FREE EDGE PORTION OF SAID SECOND DOOR TO SAID THIRD EDGE PORTION OF SAID FRAME AND SAID ARM MEANS INCLUDING MEANS OPERATIVE TO FORCE SAID FREE EDGE PORTION OF SAID SECOND DOOR LATERALLY INTO TIGHT ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ABUTMENT SURFACE MEANS UPON FINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID DOORS TO THE FULLY CLOSED PLANAR POSITIONS. 